Palm Pistol | |
---|---|
Type | Single shot |
Place of origin | USA |
Production history | |
Designer | Matthew Carmel |
Manufacturer | Constitution Arms |
The Palm Pistol is a pocket pistol invented by Matthew Carmel and manufactured by his company Constitution Arms in Maplewood, New Jersey. The firearm is specifically intended for use by seniors, disabled and others with limited hand strength or manual dexterity. [1] [2] [3]
The gun is intended to be a single-shot weapon [3] held in the palm of the hand with the barrel extending between the fingers. [3] The trigger would be at the top, squeezed by the user's thumb. [1] Carmel stated, "I was sitting in my workshop one day, playing around with a T-handled screwdriver. And I was thinking about the recurring problem I have with the seniors I teach, loading cartridges, locking slides, and hand weakness… I was thinking minimalist. If I start with just a cartridge, what is the minimal thing I have to put around it in order to ignite the primer and send this projectile downrange?" The T-handled screwdriver made Carmel realize that all he needed was a barrel, a breech, and a short butt or handle. [2]
In 2008, while the gun was still in development, it was classified as a medical device by the FDA, [3] which would have allowed reimbursements from Medicare if doctors had prescribed the pistol to eligible patients. The classification was overturned on December 8, 2008. [4]
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A handgun is a short-barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun, which needs to be held by both hands and also braced against the shoulder to be used properly. The two most common types of handguns in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other types such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in ca. 1570, when early handguns were produced in Europe, and is derived from the Middle French pistolet, meaning a small gun or knife. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used to describe any type of handgun, inclusive of revolvers and the pocket-sized derringers.
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The following are terms related to firearms and ammunition topics.
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